My Angel
by RavenNM
Summary: Lucy has been given a mission to protect a childhood friend from a stalker, who just happens to be Lucy's ex-fiance! To keep her safe, the master decides to send Fried along to pose as her new fiance. But what happens when feelings get involved and the act becomes reality? FreLu story with minor Nali. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

*** I do not own Fairy Tail, no matter how much I wish I did.**

Lucy was surprised when Master Makarov called her to his office. She hadn't been on any missions with Team Natsu, so she couldn't be in trouble for property damage. She wasn't the type to pick fights in the guild or do anything else that would get her in trouble. So what could be wrong?

When she walked in, he was sitting at his desk and scowling at the papers her was looking at.

"Is everything okay, Master?" She asked as she sat down.

He shook his head in disgust. "More notices from the Magic Council. How I wish they would get a hobby that didn't involve us. But these can wait," he shoved the papers to the side. "I was contacted today by a Lord Sebastian Whitmore. I believe you know his daughter, Lady Arabella?"

"Yes," Lucy's face lite up. "Lord Whitmore and my father worked together from time to time when we were young. He would bring Bell over when he came to work and my father would take me when we went to their estate. She was one of my few friends while growing up."

"Then you'll be happy to hear that she has an engagement party coming up in four days…"

She let out a girly squeal without meaning to. All Bell had been able to talk about when they were younger was finding someone to fall in love with and marry. Just knowing that her childhood friend was getting her wish, it meant so much to her. "That's wonderful, Master."

"Yes; unfortunately, her father fears that there may be trouble at the party. There is a suitor that she turned down that has become something of a stalker, but Lady Arabella refuses protection. When he heard that you were here, the Lord contacted me to request your discreet services."

"So he wants me to come to the party as a childhood friend who just happens to be a guild wizard," she said, quickly figuring what the job required of her. It was the perfect job. She could see her childhood friend, protect her from whatever jerk was bothering her, and get money for rent since she knew Lord Whitmore would insist on paying her. "I'd be glad to help! Did he say who it is that's stalking her?"

The master nodded. "The Lord said it was a Duke named Sawarr Junelle."

Lucy felt her body shiver and then go still. That was a name she'd hoped to never hear again. It had been years since she had seen the man, but the memory of his nasally voice, creep face and too touchy-feely hands was still fresh in her mind. He was the man her father had betrothed her to for a short time. He was part of the reason why he father had paid the Phantom Lord guild to kidnap her.

Makarov noticed the change in her demeanor and became concerned. Her eyes had gone wide, her hands fisted in her lap, and all the color drained from her face. It wasn't often he saw a person terrified at the mention of a name. "Do you know the Duke, child?"

Her eyes dropped in shame. She had never told anyone the reason why her father had tried to force her home, it was too embarrassing. What she wouldn't give to not have to keep this to herself for the rest of her life, but she couldn't avoid it anymore. "He… I… We were engaged for a short while!" She said in a rush. When she saw how shocked Makarov was she kept going. "It wasn't my choice. It was an arranged marriage that my father set up to further the Heartfilia family business. That's why my father hired Phantom Lord to kidnap me, so I could get married."

He sat there silently for a moment. He didn't seem angry, just sad. "Why did you never tell me about this?"

Lucy couldn't help but fidget under his gaze. "I was ashamed and really embarrassed. Not only had my father hurt the guild because of me, but to act like that for that reason… I hated him for that. He saw me as nothing but property to be sold or traded for what was most profitable for him. Then after he lost the business, I didn't really think about it anymore."

They were silent after that for a while. Lucy knew she should have told him about this a long time ago, but she hadn't had the courage. Now, she felt even more ashamed of herself.

"That being the case, you are the best choice for this job. Not only do you know the victim, you know the stalker, so you will be able to predict their movements much easier." Makarov concluded.

"I don't think I can," she said nervously. "If he's anything like I remember, it doesn't surprise me that he's stalking Bell. He gets obsessive and believes he's entitled to everything he sees because of who his father is. I want to protect Bell, but I'm worried that he might come after me if I go. I won't be able to concentrate on protecting her because I'll have to protect myself. Even though I never accepted his proposal, my father did; so I could still be engaged to him. He could try to force me to marry him and no one would have the legal means to go against him."

A flash of anger crossed his face; not at her, but at the idea of someone forcing her into a marriage she didn't want. "What would it take to get you there and keep you safe so you would be able to keep Lady Arabella safe?"

Scrubbing her face in her hands, she gave it some serious thought. Due to Sawarr's father's power and influence in the country, there were very few things he couldn't get if he forced the issue. To keep her from being forced into an unwanted marriage to someone like him…

"I would need to already be engaged or married to someone of equal status or power. Then Junelle wouldn't be able to question it and I could concentrate on protecting Bell from that entitled jerk." Lucy meant it. She wanted to protect Bell, but not at the expense of her own freedom. But where would they get someone like that in four days?

Nodding, Makarov walked from his office, leaving her there. She wasn't sure if the meeting was done or not so she stayed in her seat and thought of some other options. She could try to fake it and say that someone from the guild was a noble or land owner… No, Lucy knew the type of people she was going to have to deal with and they wouldn't be fooled by something like that. She could just claim to already be married to someone at the guild and hope that no one looks to deep… No, no one would believe that either. And even if they did, that creepy Duke had the power to override a "commoners" marriage if it was for the betterment of his estate. If she went, she **had** to go with a noble or a wealthy enough land owner that no one would question it.

Just then, she heard two sets of footsteps approaching the office. She turned to see Makarov followed by Fried Justine of the Thunder God Tribe entering the room.

Miss Lucy, pleasure to see you," he said as he sat in the chair next to her.

"And you," she replied before turning a questioning look to the master.

"Fried, Lucy has been requested to perform a mission to protect an old friend of hers from a stalker. Unfortunately, Lucy also has a history with the stalker and due to his family's power; this could put her own freedom in danger."

"What do you require of me, Master?" He asked in a calm voice.

"That you escort her on her mission, posing as her fiancé and protecting her from this stalker."

"But… um… Master, I'm not sure if this will work." She knew Fried presented himself properly and acted like a gentleman which would let him blend in with the crowd. Plus, his magic was very powerful so he would be able to protect her from Junelle without breaking a sweat. But without a title of millions of jewels to back it up, she was screwed.

"Of course it will work," Makarov said with a knowing smile. "Fried doesn't like to flaunt this, but he is the second eldest son of Lord Ferdinand Justine."

Lucy couldn't help but gasp. Of course, she had heard of Lord Justine and his family when she had still been living at home with her father. They were known for their power and influence just as Duke Junelle's family, but where the Junelles flaunted their power, the Justines used theirs discreetly. Now, she just felt embarrassed. "Justine" was a common enough name, but she should have made the connection earlier.

Casting a glance over to him, she saw that he was looking away and his cheeks were slightly pink. The only other time she had seen him blush was during the S-class exam when she and Cana had been literally throwing scantily dresses women at him. Now, in a sense, she was doing it again.

"Y-you don't have to accept if you don't want to. I'm sure we can think of another way to…"

"I do not doubt your intelligence or resourcefulness, Miss Lucy," Fried interrupted her, his cheeks still rosy pink. "However, given the limited time frame available, I am the best option to guarantee your safety and success for this mission."

"But will you be comfortable acting like we're engaged?" She asked bluntly. "I have no problem with it because I hardly have any ties to my old life. You still have your family and I'm sure that if you go to the Whitmore party, claiming to be engaged, it will get back to them."

He gave her a small, humorless laugh. "Knowing my family, they would be thrilled to hear that I'm engaged. My father has been attempting to bring me home so that I may marry for many years now, he cares not to whom. If he were to hear about this, he would only be upset that I had not introduced you to him before making a spectacle of ourselves at this upcoming gala."

She was surprised by his words. From the way he described it, by pretending to be engaged, it may help him even more than her.

"It's settled then," declared Makarov. "Lord Whitmore expects you to arrive at his estate the day before the engagement party. I suggest that you use the time between now and then to get to know each other and come up with a believable story about your relationship."

"Of course, Master." Fried said as he stood and extended his hand to her. "Shall we adjourn to lunch so we may speak more privately?"

Lucy did her best not to let her nervousness show as she took his hand so he could help her out of her chair. He placed her hand in the crook of his arm in a courtly manner and they left the office. As they walked through the guild, they received more than a few surprised looks but no one had the guts to come up and ask what was going on. At least, that is, until Natsu saw her and Fried leaving the guild and blocked their exit.

"What the hell, Luce! Since when are you and Fried so buddy-buddy?" He said as he gave the green haired mage a peevish look.

"She is not required to answer that. Now if you'll excuse us," Fried said in an annoyed tone as he attempted to walk around the fire dragon slayer.

This pissed Natsu off and he pushed Fried, causing them to stumble apart. "I'm her partner! I have a right to…" His rant was cut short as Lucy slapped him hard across the face. When he saw the look on the blonde's face, he shrank back in fear.

"Natsu, it's because you're my partner that I'm not going to beat you to a pulp. But don't you **dare** go around acting like you have a say in who I'm friends with." The guild watched in amazement as the boy paled in fear from her dark and dangerous tone. "Now, Fried and I need to prepare for a mission. You are going to leave me alone until I get back from that mission or else you won't be allowed in my apartment anymore. Understood?" Without looking her in the eye, Natsu nodded. Her face suddenly went cheerful as she smiled at him. "Good, I'll make you dinner when I get back."

Natsu shivered again, her sing-song voice was almost as scary as her dark one. He hated when Lucy got like this. It was like a mix between scary Erza and cheery Mira. He knew she only got like this when she was really angry, so there must have been something to do with this mission that had put her in a bad mood. Best thing for him to do was back away from the blonde slowly and do as she said.

Fried watched the situation unfold in front of him, barely hiding his amazement behind his usual stoic mask. He knew from experience that the young dragon slayer had a volatile temper at times, but he had not believed he would be so forward as to forcefully push Lucy away from him. He had been fully prepared to put the boy in his place, but hadn't gotten the chance. Who would have guessed that the celestial mage had a dark side?

When she turned to him with a bright smile on her face, he almost flinched as he prepared himself for her wrath. "Let's go, Fried. We have a lot to talk about if we're going to make this mission work."

Though he wasn't one to smile often, he couldn't help but give her a small smile as he offered his arm to her. She again placed her hand in the crook of his arm and they walked around Natsu, who was still cowering before his blonde teammate. When they were a little ways from the guild, he couldn't help but comment. "I had no idea that you had such a dark side to you."

"I normally don't," she said shyly. "It reminds me too much of how my father was with me, so I hate acting like that."

Sensing that this was a subject for a later date, Fried led her to a nearby café that he frequently visited when he was in Magnolia. Though he would never have admitted it out loud; from the few interactions he'd had with the celestial mage, he found her to be an interesting creature. He was looking forward to the opportunity of working together and getting to know her.

On the other hand, he was going to have to put a lot of effort in keeping himself hidden from her. Many people knew that he had a dark side, but only Laxus, Bixlow and Evergreen knew how dark it really was. When they were seated at the restaurant, she gave him a cute, genuine smile. The simple action affected him in a way that made him realize how difficult it was going to be to keep the beauty at a distance.

_What sort of mess have I gotten myself into?_

**A/N: I don't know why I thought to write this story about Lucy and Fried, but after I started it, it just kept flowing. They seem like they would be a good couple so I wanted to give them a chance. More chapters will be posted soon! What do you think so far? Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

*** If I owned Fairy Tail, so many of the characters would already be together!**

Lucy sat on her bed, staring at the luggage she had packed for the mission. She was supposed to meet Fried at the train station in an hour so they could arrive in Shirotsume before nightfall. Lord Whitmore had promised to have a carriage waiting at the station to take them to the estate. Despite their cover and the precautions they were taking, she still had a bad feeling about the party. She didn't want to worry the rune mage, so she would keep it to herself for now.

Walking to her kitchen for a glass of water, she couldn't help but think of the man she would claim as hers for the next three days. She was ashamed to admit that up until three days ago, she had hardly known anything about him. Now, she probably knew him as well as she knew Natsu, Gray or Erza.

They had spent a lot of time together in those three days talking about anything and everything that came to mind. It had been tense in the beginning since both of them clearly had secrets that they did not want revealed, but they eventually relaxed around each other enough for light conversation. The second day saw them having breakfast together and going into deeper conversations. They spent the entire day in each other's company, just talking.

Lucy was very surprised by how much he had opened up to her. The mage had hardly ever spoken to her before, now he was comfortable enough to tell her stories about his family and a bit about his past. She had known that he was well mannered, powerful and loyal to his friends; but she discovered that he was also an accomplished swordsman when he wasn't using his magic. He played the violin and had a passion for all different types of music. And although he cared for his family and greatly respected his father, Fried had discovered at a young age that he was not meant for life as a nobleman.

Like her, he had inherited his magical ability from his mother and had left home at the age of 16. Also like her, he had wandered Fiore for almost a year before he was found by a dragon slayer, aka Laxus, and brought to Fairy Tail. Heck, both of them even had their guild marks on their hands; although her mark was on her right hand while his was on his left hand.

In many ways, they had a lot in common but hadn't realized it because they had never had the opportunity to talk to each other. This could prove to be a problem for her since she was beginning to feel close to him in a way that was different from any of her other teammates. He was handsome, smart, loyal, and when he smiled at her, she couldn't help but blush.

"Get a hold of yourself," she grumbled out loud as she felt her cheeks heat up. "The only reason he told you all those things is because he's helping you with this mission. And the only reason he's helping you with this mission is because Master Makarov practically ordered him to do it. After you get back, things will probably go back to the way they were, so don't get too attached."

Even as she said it, Lucy felt her heart ache a little. She groaned as she went back to her bedroom and flopped on top of the covers. "Oh yeah, I'm in trouble."

~oOo~

He arrived at the train station a little earlier than he intended; but then, he couldn't stand pacing back and forth in his home anymore. He had needed to leave before he wore a path in his expensive new area rug.

Fried wasn't sure what was to become of this situation, and as a man who prided himself on being able to sort out and figure almost any situation, he didn't like how it felt. He had attempted to keep a clear line of separation between Miss Lucy and himself on the first day, but that had quickly dissolved when he discovered how similar their pasts were. When she had admitted to playing the piano, he couldn't help but confess his love of music and his talent on the violin.

But what had truly surprised him was an inner strength matched with kindness he rarely saw anymore. It shouldn't have surprised him though. He remembered how she had rallied the guild together to take down the Thunder Palace during the Battle of Fairy Tail. Bixlow had also told him how she had fought alongside her spirit Loke and ended up defeating him. He knew very few mages that could accomplish such a thing, and she had done it during her first few months with the guild.

By the second day, he found it difficult not to tell her about himself. He was talking more to her than anyone else he could remember, including his own teammates. This should have unnerved him, but Fried found it rather liberating to be able to confide to this beautiful angel with a heart of gold and the soul of a warrior. They had talked all day beginning with breakfast then a stroll along the water front. They had gotten so engrossed in their conversation that they had nearly missed going to lunch. Afterwards, they continued to talk as they walked through most of Magnolia.

When time came for dinner, she offered to cook for him since he had paid for their meals that day. He was not used to individuals offering to make meals for him; he normally ate at restaurants or cooked for himself. There was no way that Lucy could have known, but that gesture of kindness meant the world to him. What made it even better was that the meal had turned out absolutely delicious!

He was so distracted thinking about the golden spirit mage that he almost didn't notice the person approaching him. He shot the pink haired dragon slayer an annoyed glance before looking away from him. This did not seem to faze the boy since he walked right up to him.

"I need to talk to you," Natsu said in an even voice which edged on dangerous. If he had been speaking to anyone else, it would have been a bit intimidating.

It didn't bother him in the least. "I believe Miss Lucy told you to maintain your distance from us until we returned from the mission."

"No, she said to stay away from _her_ until she came back. You're fair game, and I plan to be gone before she gets here." Natsu corrected him, proving that he was indeed more intelligent than he appeared.

Now Fried was annoyed with himself. He was a rune mage, words were everything to him when it came to magic, yet this bumbling dragon slayer had outsmarted him. "Say what you must, and then leave."

Natsu scowled at him as he spoke. "You're about to take my partner and best friend on a mission and Gramps has ordered me to stay behind because following you may make it so Lucy can never come back home. I don't know what that means, but I'm not going to risk it so I'm staying behind. I don't like this because I hardly know you, but you're a member of Fairy Tail, so I'm going to trust you. But there are things you need to know."

Though Fried was not one to succumb to intimidation, he recognized the fierce loyalty and protective instinct Natsu felt toward Lucy. He couldn't fault the boy for that at all, so he nodded for him to continue.

"If you don't bring Lucy back safe, answering to Gramps will be the least of your worries because I will burn you to ash. Next, if a fight does happen, don't bother trying to keep Lucy out of it. She's the type to fight along with her spirits even when _they_ tell her to run to safety. It's best to just watch her back since that's what she'll do for you. Arguing with her on that point will get you nowhere and just distract from the fight."

_That's a bit of information that I will definitely need to remember,_ he thought as Natsu continued.

"Lastly, just because Gramps and I are telling you to protect her, don't for a second think of her as weak. Lucy is one of the strongest people I know, even if she doesn't see it herself. She's gone through more crap in a few years than others can handle in a lifetime. Treat her as anything but a Fairy Tail mage and you won't just have to deal with Gramps and me; Erza, Gray, Levy and Loke will probably make you pay for it too."

Feeling a bit insulted, he looked the boy dead in the eye. "I can assure you that I will never view her as weak. Only a fool would do such a thing, and then that fool would consider himself lucky if he lived to regret it. No one who knows her would see her as anything but strong and brave."

Natsu's eyes widened for a moment before he smirked at the green haired mage. "So you've fallen for her too, huh?"

Only years of practice in hiding his emotions kept him from gasping out loud. _Was I that obvious? Did I say something too revealing? He just implied that there are other competitors for Lucy's affections!_

"You're not alone," the dragon slayer mused out loud. "Luce has this way about her that just draws you in and makes it so you have to be part of her life. Many have tried to get closer to her, but no one has ever been more than friends." He suddenly grinned at Fried. "But who knows? Maybe you'll be the lucky bastard who wins her heart."

Before he could reply, Natsu sniffed the air and grinned. "Luce will be here any minute now, so I'm going to get out of here. I'm looking forward to my Lucy dinner when she gets back, so I'm not going to get caught. She only cooks for people she likes, you know." Then he was walking away.

The rune mage couldn't help but stare after the boy. _ Did he just wish me luck in attempting a relationship with his partner? _Because of rumors around the guild, he had presumed that Lucy and Natsu had a romantic relationship. But from what the boy had just said, it had never gotten that far. _And she only cooks for people she likes, hmm?_ That last thought made him smile.

"Fried!"

Hearing his name, he turned toward the voice and nearly swallowed his tongue. Lucy was a vision in a sleeveless pink silk blouse and black pencil skirt that reached just above her knees. Her golden hair was flowing around her shoulders in loose curls. She smiled brightly as she waved at him. When he felt his cheeks start to get warm, just from her smile, he bit the tip of his tongue to restore his composure.

"Good afternoon, Miss Lucy," he greeted her.

"Fried, we're supposed to be engaged, so just call me Lucy." She told him as she stopped next to him so they could wait to board the train.

"You're right," he agreed as he tried to relax. "If we act too formally with each other, the Duke may suspect something. It also occurred to me this morning that we have neglected three key elements of our cover."

She nodded. "I think I know the key elements you're talking about. How we met, how we fell in love, and how we became engaged."

He couldn't help but smile at her, she was very intelligent. "It would probably be best to stay as close to the truth as possible while being vague on details in case we are questioned separately by the same person."

"Agreed. We met by being members of the same guild, so we shouldn't have to change that." Lucy said as she brought the index finger of her guild marked hand to her lips.

He watched the finger rest against her soft pink lips and had to bite the tip of his tongue again to maintain his composure. _This woman has no idea how tempting she truly is. By the end of this mission, I may not have a tongue anymore because I will have bitten it off to keep myself from ravishing her!_

"As for how we fell in love, that may be a little more complicated and it will need a lot more detail." She continued talking, completely unaware of Fried's inner struggle. "Do you have any ideas? If I try coming up with it on my own, I know I'll end up with something completely unbelievable. It needs to seem real."

The conductor called for passengers to board, which put their conversation on hold for a moment. He continued to watch her as they located their seats, stored their luggage and settled in for the long train ride. He had an idea for the story of how they fell in love, it could also gauge her reaction to him… he hoped.

"I have a thought, if you are interested." When she smiled at him, he continued. "We could tell everyone that even though we had met at the guild, we had never truly known each other; which is the truth. Then the Master assigned us to work together on a mission, where we discovered that we had much in common with each other; this is also the truth. We can then claim that we began falling in love during that mission and I proceeded to court you when we returned to Magnolia." _Which is what I intend to do,_ he added silently.

Looking at Lucy, he was surprised to see how red her face had become and became worried for a moment, thinking he may have angered or embarrassed her. Then she nodded. "T-that does seem very believable. E-even I could see t-that happening pretty easily." Looking up at him, she smiled. "Sounds like the perfect way for guild members to fall in love, when you think about it."

Nothing could have stopped Fried from blushing that time, even if he had bitten his tongue off completely. Had this angel just told him that she was falling for him as well? Since he couldn't be sure, and would rather discuss it with her in a more appropriate atmosphere, he would wait until later to ask.

"So… what should we say about being engaged? This is what will need the most detail…" She gasped and looked down at her left hand. "Oh no, I forgot to grab a ring from my jewelry box!" And at that moment, the train lurched forward on the tracks. Lucy groaned as she covered her face with her hands. "How could I forget something as important as the ring?" He heard her mumble between her fingers.

Unable to stop himself, Fried chuckled at her. She just looked so adorable. When she shot a glare at him, he cleared his throat to calm his laughter. "I beg your pardon, Lucy. But I believe that it is tradition for the gentleman to present the ring to his betrothed." He said as he pulled a small, velvet box from his pocket.

Lucy's eyes went wide as she took the box with her shaking fingers. When she opened it, she couldn't help but gasp. The ring was absolutely beautiful. It had a large round cut emerald that was surrounded by a halo of small diamonds and set in gold. It had to cost a fortune, yet Fried had handed it to her so easily.

"Do you like it?" He asked her.

Looking up at him, she struggled not to lose her own composure in front of him. "It's gorgeous, Fried. But where did you get it? Please don't tell me that you bought it just for this mission."

"Hardly," he chuckled. "It's something my mother gave to me many years ago. I felt it would work nicely for this mission, so I brought it with me."

_So it was his mother's! That's an even bigger deal!_ Lucy felt her cheeks burn even hotter. "Are you sure it's okay for me to wear this?"

He gave her a soft smile. "I would be honored if you would wear this ring on our mission." _And if I have my way, you will continue to wear it after the mission._

Smiling back at him, she took the ring out of the box and tried to slip it on her finger… except her hands were shaking so much that it was difficult. When Fried plucked the ring from her fingers and held her left hand, she couldn't help but hold her breath. Their eyes locked for a second as he easily slid the ring onto her third finger. Surprisingly, the size and design fit her hand perfectly.

_I am in so much trouble! He looked so sincere just now when he put the ring on me finger. And that smile of his… How am I supposed to keep this professional? Mavis, help me!_

**A/N: The first chapter went over really well and I hope that this chapter meets or exceeds everyone's expectations! The next chapter has a little twist to it that I don't think anyone will see coming, tee-hee-hee!**

**A/N 2: The day I posted this is the same day I got the Fairy Tail guild mark tattooed on my left thigh. I'm an official member of Fairy Tail! Hooray! XD**


	3. Chapter 3

*** It's probably a good thing that Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail, because there would be an all-out war otherwise.**

It was almost dark by the time the carriage stopped in front of the Whitmore estate. Although it had been years since Lucy had visited, it looked exactly the same as she remembered. Not a moment after the carriage stooped, a footman had opened the door and offered a hand to help her down. Fried stayed close to her side, he had been that way since they had left the train. When he offered her his arm, she took it.

"Fried Justine and Lucy Heartfilia, Lord Sebastian requests an audience with you in his study before you go to see Lady Arabella." The footman said as he bowed slightly at his waist.

"Of course, please take us to him," said Fried.

As they entered the house, Lucy couldn't help but notice the music coming from what she remembered as the grand ballroom. There were also the voices of people talking and laughing. Though the official engagement party wasn't until the following evening, those who traveled a great distance would normally arrive the night before. This meant that Duke Junelle might already be there.

He felt her tense beside him and already knew why. Without saying a word, he patted her hand in the crook of his arm. Hopefully, the Duke would have enough good sense to stay away from Lucy and Arabella if he was attending the party.

The study, as Lucy remembered, was more like a library with a large desk and a few wingback chairs. When she and Bell had been younger, they loved looking though all the books and reading their favorite stories to each other. Standing behind the desk was Lord Sebastian Whitmore. He looked much the same as the last time she had seen him. The same indigo eyes, same warm smile, and the same tall build. But in the last ten years, his face had acquired a few more lines and his once dark brown hair was peppered with silver. She found it made him look much more distinguished.

"Lucy Heartfilia," he said as he came around his desk and gave her a hug. "It has been far too long, my dear." Stepping back, he shook his head in wonder. "It has been ten years since I last saw you, but you don't look a day over 18 years old."

She laughed. "It's a long story, but the footnote version is something happened and I ended up skipping seven years along with a lot of other members of the guild. So even though it's been ten years for you, it's only been three years for me."

"Fascinating," he said before turning to her companion. "Please, pardon my rudeness. It has been so long, and she looks so young, I lost my manners. I am Lord Sebastian Whitmore; it is a pleasure to meet you. And I thank you both for coming on such short notice."

"Fried Justine, at your service, we are glad we could help," he said as he inclined his head to the Lord.

"What does the situation look like so far? Is Duke Junelle here?" Lucy asked.

The Lord's face dropped. "Unfortunately, he arrived earlier today and I was not able to turn him away. His father spoke to me personally and although no threat was made, he made it clear that he would cause great trouble for me, my family and my business if his son was treated as anything short of an honored guest."

"So he's stalking Bell because she turned him down, I get that, but why at her engagement party?" She asked, Sawarr might not have been the brightest berry on the bush, but she didn't think that he was that stupid.

"Once the engagement is official, the King has promised to order Junelle to leave her alone. And any attempts the Junelle family would make against me or my business will be seen as an attack and the King would then strip the family of their money and title. However, until the engagement is made official tomorrow night, Sawarr is free to pursue, court and even threaten her in the attempt to change her mind."

"Which means that this is his last chance, and that could make him desperate and you're worried he might hurt her," she finished.

The Lord nodded. "That is my fear. I could care less about my business and my money, but I do not want to see my daughter harmed."

"I swear to you, I'll do everything I can to keep her safe," she told him.

Fried couldn't help but smile at her. The determination on the woman's face was something to be admired, even if she was nervous about the man she was dealing with. But he swore that he would not allow that entitled Duke to harm her. If the man so much as touched her, he wasn't sure if he would be able to keep his own temper in check.

"Everyone is gathering in the grand ballroom, I'm sure that Arabella is there and Junelle will certainly be close as well. I haven't told her that you are coming, I've only mentioned that I ran into an old friend of hers while traveling through Magnolia and extended an invitation."

"Got it," she confirmed before turning to Fried and placing her hand back into his arm. "Ready?" His answer was a curt nod as he led her out of the study and toward the party.

The ballroom was all aglow with hundreds of candles placed throughout the space. A string quartet and piano filled the room with music as the guests chatted with each other. Lucy was relieved to see that most of the guests were dressed as casually as she was. They would wait until the actual party to wear their quality gowns and suits.

A quick scan of the room found Arabella speaking with an older couple near the musicians. She looked much the same as the last time Lucy had seen her, but a little taller and with more curves. He chestnut brown hair flowed freely down her back in loose curls, but a pair of clips kept it out of her face so everyone could see her indigo eyes and beautiful smile. She wore a casual, but beautiful, sleeveless blue dress that reached to just below her knees.

With her hand still in Fried's arm, she started leading him over to Bell. The woman glanced in their direction and her jaw dropped when recognition struck her. Lucy saw her excuse herself from the conversation she'd been having and rush over to them. She barely had a chance to disengage herself form the rune mage before the woman threw herself into the blonde's arms.

"Oh my goodness, Lucy! I can't believe you're here!" She released her and took a step back while keeping a hold of her hands. "You look amazing and so young! How do you only look 19 years old?"

She shrugged. "It's complicated; but basically, a spell made me and a lot of members of our guild disappear for seven years. When we came back, we hadn't aged a day and didn't even know that all that time had passed."

"That's unbelievable! And you became a mage and joined an official guild? Which guild is it?"

Lucy held up her hand with the pink symbol on it and smiled. "I'm a member of Fairy Tail."

Bell smiled brightly. "You really did it, Lucy. You followed your dream!" Her head turned to Fried, who had been watching the whole meeting with a quiet smile. The way the woman looked at him, in an almost calculating way, made him a little nervous. "And who is this?" She asked as she extended her hand to him.

"Fried Justine, it is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Arabella." He said as he took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

The woman gasped and smiled brightly at him. "That explains why you look like Franco, you must be his brother!"

He straightened, his eyes going a fraction wider at the mention of his younger brother. They had not seen each other since he had returned from the S-class trial. It had been a short visit, mostly to confirm to his family that he was alive, but after finding out his mother had died while he was gone he hadn't been able to stay. "You know my brother?"

"She should since she'd planning on marrying me."

Turning to his left, he stared at the man his younger brother had become. The two of them looked very much alike in their features: same blue eyes, same lime green hair, even close to the same voice. However, Fried's hair was long where his brother's hair was short and he had also grown a few inches taller. Franco was also the brother that always had a big grin on his face while Fried hardly ever smiled.

"You never told me that it was your brother who was getting engaged to Bell," he heard Lucy say accusingly.

"I was not aware that they were either," he said, his voice slightly more defensive than he would have liked.

"I never had the opportunity to tell him," Franco said, trying to take some of the heat off of his brother. "We have only seen each other once since he returned after disappearing for seven years and it was an emotional time. However, it seems that fate has decided to bring you here anyway, Brother. And who is this charming woman you have brought with you?" He asked as he took Lucy's left hand and kissed her knuckles. "And she's wearing Mother's ring! Have you also become engaged?"

Fried and Lucy both blushed as Bell squealed with joy. "I can't believe it! Childhood friends being engaged to brothers! This means that we're going to be family, Lucy! I couldn't have asked for a better engagement present!"

"Why haven't you told Father? I'm sure he would be thrilled by this news," he said as he released Lucy's hand.

Fried would forever be grateful to the blonde angel at his side for taking the lead. He had been prepared to watch Lucy and the proceedings with little interaction. His brother being Arabella's intended fiancé threw that plan directly out the window. And because of the type of magic he used, lying to people was close to impossible since he was bound by the rules of his magic. The celestial mage, on the other hand, could lie to her hearts content.

"We haven't really had the chance," she said as she gripped his arm. "The relationship and the engagement have all happened so suddenly, I guess you can say that we are still riding the whirlwind."

"You must be quite the woman to have gotten my brother to rush into anything, I like you already," Franco smiled warmly at her.

"Arabella and Lucy are probably the most beautiful women in all of Fiore. It's impossible not to like them."

The brothers watched as both women went stiff and pale at the sound of that nasally voice. Franco was already scowling as he turned while Fried kept his expression dismissive. Duke Sawarr Junelle was not much of a man; that was the rune mage's first impression. The man was attempting to flaunt his father's money with expensive clothing and jeweled rings on his fingers, as well as a pristine haircut. However, the man still appeared unkempt from his overweight build and the perspiration on his skin. His eyes, very rudely, traveled up and down both of the women and lingered for a moment on their bosoms. The brothers noticed the way his eyes lingered and stepped in front of the women to block his view.

Now Fried clearly understood why Lord Whitmore had wanted protection for his daughter and why Lucy had been worried for her own safety. This man was slime and without manners but with a lot of money. When this type of man did not get what he wanted, he could become dangerous and harm the object of his desire to make sure no one else could have it either.

Realizing that the brothers were standing between himself and what he wanted, he sneered at the men. "What a coincidence that two of the Justine brothers would attempt to claim what is mine." Sawarr boldly eyed Fried. "You do know that she was betrothed to me first, don't you? You have no right to say that she is yours. I could take her right now if I wished."

He glared coldly at the man. "I was aware that she had a history with you and that she was disgusted at the mention of your name. Now I see why. And as for your so called 'claim' to my fiancé, it is her right to choose who will claim her and she has chosen me."

Sawarr glared past the rune mage to Lucy. "How dare you speak ill of me! You are nothing more than a commoner now, you should be grateful that I have any interest in you whatsoever!" He suddenly smirked at Arabella, then at Lucy again. "Though I must say, your body looks supple as ever. Perhaps after I make Arabella my wife, I'll make you my mistress. No doubt you already know how to spread your legs after being in that guild of yours."

Fried felt the darkness within him well up. The fact that someone, particularly Junelle, had looked upon two proper ladies like that was appalling. But then the man had taken it a leap further and had verbally assaulted Lucy and his brother's fiancée... it was seriously pushing his tolerance for this man. He needed to get away before he lost control of himself and hurt the man. Considering the look on his brother's face, he doubted if Franco would mind the disturbance, but the rest of the quests might be unsettled by a man screaming in pain in the middle of the ballroom.

Before he could do anything, his blonde angel had stepped around him to stand toe-to-toe with the Duke. The look in her eyes was even more terrifying that the one he had seen her give Natsu. It was even enough to encourage the darkness within him to recede.

"I may be a _commoner_, but I still have enough taste and class to not spout such despicable language in front of a proper lady, which puts you beneath me." Her voice was so dark and dangerous that it scared Fried a little. He even saw his brother's eyes go wide with a hint of fear. Arabella, however, looked entertained; apparently she was familiar with this side of her childhood friend. "Something to keep in mind about our brief betrothal is that I never choose you let alone agreed to be your wife. The entire thing was arranged by my father so he could acquire your lands for his business. You were nothing more than a way for him to make more money and I refused to be a part of it. You never even gave me a ring, so whatever claim you think you have on me became moot the moment Fried slid his mother's ring on my finger." To emphasis her point she held up her left hand to show off the emerald and diamond ring.

"Something else to keep in mind is that I am a Fairy Tail mage. If you try to force me to become your mistress, since I would never do that willingly, I will summon my spirit who uses a giant ax to remove the reason for you to even have a mistress along with any chance of producing an heir."

It was amusing to watch as the Duke's face changed colors in front of their eyes. First, it turned nearly purple from anger, then pale white from fear, now he looked green as though he was trying not to be sick. He thought back to what he told Natsu earlier, that anyone who thought of the blonde, warrior angel as weak would be lucky if they lived to regret it. It seemed that Duke Sawarr Junelle was already regretting it.

"Now, if you'll excuse us. My fiancé and I were having a private conversation with my friend and his brother. I am sure that you will be able to find a woman here who would love to pretend to be attracted to you so she can get your money. As for the rest of us, we have better things to do."

With that, Lucy turned her back on the man before taking Fried's arm and turning him as well. "Bell, you must tell me your plans for the wedding," she said with a cheerful smile and happy tone in her voice. Her ability to go from one extreme to the other baffling and amazing him as she spoke. She continued to talk as she took Bell's hand with her free one and began leading her away from the stunned Duke, the younger Justine brother fell into step with them as the blonde walked them to a pair of love seats that faced each other. Bell and Lucy sat on one while Fried and Franco took the other.

With some distance between Junelle and the women, the atmosphere relaxed a great deal. The women continued to talk about plans for the wedding as Fried kept an eye on Junelle. The man was keeping his distance but was continuing to glare at the four of them.

"I wouldn't worry so much about him for the rest of the night, Brother." Franco said; a satisfied smirk on his face. "Junelle will be too embarrassed to come near us thanks to the scene your fiancée made. If it had been me she was directing that glare at, I would never dare to approach her again."

"That's only if he's smart, and something tells me that he lacks that quality." Still, Fried looked away from the man so he could watch the women talk to each other. "Lucy is quite extraordinary, isn't she?" He said low enough so only his brother would hear.

Franco grinned at him. "She may not be as wonderful as my Bell, but I can already tell that Lucy is a close second. And you, my brother, are the bravest man I know to have laid claim to a woman like that."

Smiling at his brother's words, he couldn't help but think of what it would be like to be engaged to the blonde for real. It was actually easy to imagine the two of them in a relationship, he even found himself smiling at the thought. He cared for her, admired he, found her beauty to be beyond anything he knew; she even calmed the darkness inside him like no one ever had before. It was then that Fried decided to do everything within his power to court Lucy Heartfilia and make their relationship and their engagement the real thing.

"She is well worth the fear," he said to his brother. "I care for her deeply and will do anything to keep her."

**A/N: Another chapter down, I hope you all like the twist that Bell's fiancé happens to be Fried's younger brother. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up! =^-^= Please review, because I love hearing from you!**

**A/N 2: I've gotten a few comments saying that I am spelling Fried's name wrong, but I'm actually not. I'm going by the spelling in the manga, if you don't believe me, check out his character profile in book 13.**


	4. Chapter 4

***Fairy Tail is meant to be shared with the world but it belongs to Hiro Mashima.**

The rest of the night was uneventful, just as Franco predicted. Junelle stayed a good distance away from the four of them but would send dirty looks in Lucy's direction every chance he got. After the evening ended, Bell insisted that Lucy stay with her in her rooms so they could catch up with each other, this left Fried to the mercies of his brother. In truth, the situation was optimal for Lucy to protect Bell, but it left Fried without his charge. He knew that she could take care of herself, but he still couldn't help but worry. She may not have seen all the dirty looks that Junelle had aimed at her, but he sure had. So, before retiring for the night, he placed a barrier around Bell's rooms which would specifically keep out Junelle, it would also alert him should the man attempt to cross the barrier.

Since the engagement part was not until the evening, Bell and Franco insisted on spending the day together. "After all, we're going to be so busy at the party, we'll be lucky to see you more than once. This will be our only chance to spend time together as family." Bell had told them. Lucy and Fried had agreed, of course; relieved that their combined relationship to Bell and Franco allowed them to stay close and protect them.

When lunch came around, Bell insisted that they eat in the music room. Lucy hadn't trusted the look in her friend's eyes and discovered why after they had finished eating. "You should really play something for us on the piano, Lucy. I used to love listening to you play and I really want Franco to hear you too."

"I…I don't know," she stuttered. "I haven't been able to but a piano for my apartment yet, so I'm afraid I'm out of practice."

"Then this is perfect!" Bell insisted as she stood from the table, taking her hand and leading her to the baby grand that sat near the center of the room. "You can get some practice for when you get your own, and all of us get to hear you play!"

_Damn, I almost forgot how Bell gets when she really wants something. She never stops and will only allow peace when she is satisfied. To deny Bell is like telling Erza that she isn't allowed to have cake._ "Fine, fine," Lucy huffed as she sat down on the piano bench. "But no laughing while I'm playing; and if I'm not as good as I used to be, remember that I warned you." The brunette nodded as she practically skipped back to her fiancé.

Fried watched with interest as she stretched her fingers for a moment then ran them across them keys without playing a note. After that, she placed her hands in their first position, shut her eyes and began to play. He had always considered himself well versed in music, but the blonde angel showed him something new. With her eyes still shut, she played a song he could only describe as one meant to wrench at a person's emotions.

The notes began pure and soft, as if showing the innocence of life. There was love and care in the way her fingers stroked the keys and it showed on her face as well, she looked so at peace. Then the notes took on a harder edge that seemed to dash the innocence to pieces and left only sadness and hurt. Her expression mirrored this change as well as her mouth turned to a slight frown and her brow creased.

Looking over at Franco and Bell, he was shocked to see that the music had brought them to tears already. Bell was completely absorbed in the music with silent tears falling down her cheeks. His brother was barely holding back his tears and he seemed amazed that such a thing had affected him so greatly.

The music changed again and the notes grew harsher and restless. Her expression turned into a grimace as though she didn't want to play this part of the song because it hurt her so much. As if it was a bad memory… It was then that he realized that Lucy seemed to be playing the story of her own life. She had told him of her childhood during the days before they arrived at the Whitmore estate, so he could almost match up the timeline with the music as she played. The innocence of her childhood, cut short by her mother's death, which lead into the time when her father treated her harshly.

Her fingers slowed until they came to a stop, as if to show how how her soul was dying due to the harsh control of her father and what he had expected of her. It went quiet for a moment, he feared that she had finished playing already, but then the notes took on a new life. He could practically see her breaking out of her constricting life and becoming free, even if that freedom had a hard edge that made her struggle. There was a grimace on her beautiful face as she played, whatever had happened to force her out the door, Fried could tell that it was one of the hardest decisions she had ever made in her life.

When the notes lifted on high, she brought so much enthusiasm and excitement as she stroked the keys. A smile stretched across her face, one that Fried had seen many times at the guild. He knew exactly where she was in her memories as she played, it was the day that she had met Natsu and he dragged her out of Hargeon to join Fairy Tail. Despite the happiness and joy to the music, Fried couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of the connection Lucy had with the dragon slayer. In a way, it was similar to the kinship he felt towards Laxus, but he still didn't like how much closer the boy was to her. It was something, when he did pursue a relationship with her; he knew he would have to deal with. However, if he had his way, he would not need to worry because he would become closer to her then any other man ever had been or ever would be again.

Then he noticed something else that was almost hidden just beneath the happy melody. He watched her expression as she played, but it gave nothing away this time. When he recognized the sound for what it was, he nearly gasped out loud in shock. It was the sound of loneliness, and that was something he understood. Even though she was surrounded by friends and had a happy life, she was still lonely. There were many times when he had felt the same, alone even though he was surrounded by his friends. When the undertone changed again to one of hope, it made his heart swell. Her expression became soft and… was she blushing? Did that mean the new hope was it for him?

As the song ended, the three people who had been listening could only sit in awe of what they had just experienced. Then bell glanced over at him with a curious look as she wiped the stray tears from her face. "Haven't you ever heard her play before?"

Fried shook his head. "As Lucy said, the relationship and the engagement are still rather new to us and she has yet to purchase a piano. I knew of her abilities, but had not had the pleasure of experiencing her play." As the words left his mouth, an idea struck him. "Do you happen to have a violin?" He asked Bell as he smiled at the beautiful blonde sitting at the piano "I find myself moved to play a duet with my angel. That is, if she will have me."

Lucy was finding it hard to breathe under his intense gaze. His blue eyes seemed to be boring into her very soul. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest it felt like her bones would break. _Is he flirting with me for real or is this just an act for his brother and Bell? Please let it be for real! I've already fallen for the man; please say that he feels the same for me! _Doing her best to hide her thoughts, but not trusting her voice at the moment, she smiled and nodded.

Bell went in search of the instrument as Fried approached her. Taking her right hand in his, he brought it to his lips to give her a lingering kiss. Lucy could remember countless boys kissing her hand when her father had been showing her off to the sons of rich families, but this kiss was the first one that made her blush.

"You play beautifully, my angel," he whispered to her. "I am honored that you would allow me to play with you. When you do acquire your piano, I would love to hear you play again."

Her cheeks were burning by the time the brunette returned with a case containing a violin and bow. After taking a moment to tune the instrument to his liking, his eyes locked on hers. "Do you know _Love Song_ by Beethoven?" Instead of telling him that she did, Lucy put her fingers to the keys to play the opening chords. Fried played the answering notes as the music flowed back and forth between the two of them. Franco and Bell listened for a moment, before she took his hand and they began dancing with each other to the music. The couple danced gracefully around the room as Fried and Lucy played. As the song came to an end, Franco brought Bell forward and placed a gentle kiss to her lips and smiled at each other.

A moment later, Lucy began playing _Nocturne_ for piano and violin by Chopin; he didn't hesitate as he began to play. This song had a greater emphasis on the violin. Though she was careful not to let herself be distracted from her part, she couldn't help but be entranced by him as she watched him play. His fingers danced across the strings, his breathing matched the tempo of the music, but the thing she noticed was how his eyes never left hers. He truly was a handsome man, talented and kind as well. The way he watched her had her hoping that he cared for her, because she had fallen in love with him.

The two of them continued to play, practically dueling back and forth while complementing each other at the same time. She had spared a glance or two at Franco and Bell as they played and was pleased to see that they continued to dance for a while before returning to their seats to enjoy the impromptu show.

But after a while, Bell came over and placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "I really hate to interrupt, but we only have two hours to get ready before the party," she told them.

Lucy blinked, had they really been playing for almost three hours? The soreness in her finger tips said that they had. Looking at the rune mage, she could tell that he was equally stunned as he flexed his sore fingers. She had just been so caught up in the music and his eyes, time had simply gotten away from them.

"We're going to head back to my rooms so we can make ourselves presentable," Bell said as she took the spirit mage's hand and started leading her out of the room. "You guys had better get ready too!"

The brothers stared after the women as they disappeared. Then Franco chuckled and shook his head. "Leave it to Bell to run off after something like that."

Fried smiled as he placed the violin and bow in its case. He was still riding the high of the music and felt absolutely euphoric. It had been a long time since he had felt like playing like that, even longer since he played for anyone other than himself. He had done duets in the past, but never had he felt such raw emotion or intensity between himself and the other musician and he knew that he never would again unless he was playing with her. This seemed to be even more proof that he and his angel were meant to be together. Even more thrilling had been the look in her eyes, she had felt the connection as well. Although he had never been one to act on impulse, he knew that he would not be able to wait until they returned to Magnolia. He would tell her how he felt after the engagement announcement was officially made.

"I don't believe that I have ever heard you play with such passion before, Brother." Franco commented, a knowing smirk on his face.

Fried chuckled and smiled back. "I just needed a golden angel to inspire me."

**A/N: This was a very fluffy chapter, but this is meant to be a romantic story. This is also the chapter that inspired the whole story. I loved the idea of two people falling in love while playing a duet, just finding that connection through music. So that's what this chapter was all about.**


	5. Chapter 5

*** How I wish that I could own Fairy Tail… but then I may be killed in my sleep so someone else could own it.**

"It is my pleasure to officially announce the engagement of my daughter, Lady Arabella Whitmore, to this fine gentleman, Franco Justine. I may not like that my daughter is growing up, but I am at least relieved that she has found someone who loves her, someone I like. I bid you all to dance, drink, and enjoy the festivities in celebration of this upcoming union. The night is young, so please enjoy!"

A cheer went up from the guests as the happy couple shared a kiss. Lucy couldn't have been happier for her friend and she was thrilled that she had been able to protect her. Junelle had tried to approach Bell at the start of the evening, but had gone scurrying away when she had sent him a glare. He hadn't tried to approach them again. At that moment, she saw him standing beside the bar and throwing back shots of alcohol as he glared at the couple on stage. Now he couldn't hurt the woman without getting in serious trouble.

Her friend looked absolutely stunning up on stage. She and Bell had spent the better part of the two hours talking about the Justine brothers while Cancer had done their hair. The brunette had been thrilled to see the spirit again and since he used to do their hair when they were younger. Then Virgo had appeared with a rack of dresses from the celestial world for them to choose from. It had been so much fun and they loved the gowns they had chosen.

When they had gone down the stairs to meet the men, her heart had skipped when she saw Fried. The style of clothes was very similar to what he normally wore except his coat was black with white trim and a white shirt underneath; his pants were white and tucked into black boots. His hair was tied in its normal fashion and his sword was hanging from the belt at his trim waist. When he looked up at her as she descended, he gave he such a seductive smile that she almost squealed like a fan-girl! Only years of practice being a debutant kept her in check. But now that her mission was over, she could enjoy the rest of the party with the particularly handsome rune mage at her side.

Fried couldn't have been prouder of his youngest brother. The little boy that had chased him everywhere was now engaged to a woman that he loved. Love was a rare thing in the world of nobility and he was glad that Franco was lucky enough to find it. _And perhaps I will be lucky as well,_ he thought as he looked at the woman at his side. When he had first seen her come down the stairs with Arabella, it had taken great restraint to keep his mouth from dropping open. She was wearing a gown of golden hues with a dusting of red glitter that gave her the appearance of a sunset. Her hair was in a bun with tendrils of hair framing her face. He had done his best to hide his shock by smiling at her… which seemed to make her fluster and blush. She was the embodiment of a golden angel, now he had to pray to the heavens that she might be his.

As the string quartette and piano began to play a waltz, Fried took her hand and bowed slightly at his waist. "Will you honor me with a dance, my angel?"

She smiled at him and nodded, letting him lead her to the dance floor. As he placed his hand on her left shoulder blade and joined their guild marked hands, she couldn't help but blush. Other than kissing her hand or placing her hand in the crook of his arm, this was the most contact they'd had so far. Then he was expertly leading her as they danced across the floor. She couldn't help but be surprised by how well they moved together, as if they had done it a thousand times. She could tell every time he wished to spin her or change the rotation of their steps. When he extended his right arm she flowed with him before spinning back in front of him to his left side, she extended her arm before spinning back into his arms, and then they were dancing across the floor again. It felt much the same as when they had played together at lunch, almost as easy as breathing. Lucy couldn't help but smile at him.

"Have I told you how lovely you this evening?" He asked as he smiled down at her.

She blushed at his words. "I don't believe so."

"Then that was quite remise of me, because you look absolutely beautiful, my angel."

The music reached a crescendo and Fried stood in place as he began to spin her around his body until she had made a full circle, he did it so expertly, she wasn't even dizzy. Her heart was fluttering as fast as hummingbird wings as her eyes met his after the spin. There was no one of importance around to act for and his voice was low enough for only her to hear.

"You keep calling me _your angel_. Why is that?" She asked, even though she already had an idea why, she just wanted to hear him say it.

His smile grew larger as he lifted her into the air and they did a half turn before pulling her close and going back into the dance without missing a step. "I call you _angel_ because of your beauty and grace. I have called you a _warrior angel_ because of your strength, bravery and the loyalty you have to your friends. I have also called you_ golden angel_ because you bring such brilliant golden light to my darkness. Though it may be improper to refer to you as mine, I do hope that you will agree to give me that chance." His eyes suddenly became serious as they began to dance the simpler steps of the waltz. "I find myself quite taken with you, Lucy Heartfilia, and I would consider myself the luckiest man in all of Fiore if you would allow me the chance to properly court you."

Shocked by his declaration, the celestial mage found herself completely speechless. _It wasn't an act! He has feelings for me too!_ She felt giddy as she smiled brilliantly at him; but before she could answer, they were approached by the newly engaged couple.

"I believe congratulations are in order, Brother," Franco said in a proud voice.

Fried smiled. "You mean for having the most beautiful woman at the party on my arm? You're right, I do deserve congratulations."

"You are mistaken, because Bell is mine now," Franco grinned back. "But as I said, Lucy is a close second simply because of how she has you wrapped around her little finger."

The rune mage laughed out loud, this surprised all three of them. Franco was the first to recover. "Well, shall we switch fiancées for the next song? After one dance, we can decide which brother found the better woman."

As if on cue, the music changed and Lucy was swept from his arms by his brother. Turning to Arabella, he took her into his arms as they began to waltz. "Congratulations, Lady Arabella. I am glad that my brother had found such a wonderful woman to share his life with."

"We're going to be family, Fried; so just call me Bell," she smiled as the danced across the floor.

Franco watched them for a moment before turning his attention to the beauty in his arms. "Fried is right, you are quite the woman, Lucy. I don't think I have ever seen my brother so happy."

"Really?" She couldn't help but ask as warmth welled up in her chest.

"He's playing the violin again, he's talking more than I can remember, and he's smiling," he told her, letting his excitement show. "I have seen him smile more in a day than he would in an entire month when we were children."

She couldn't help but look over at him as realization hit her, Franco was right. In the past four days, she had seen him smile more than the whole time she had known him at the guild. She had believed the smiles had more to do with seeing his brother than her presence, apparently she was wrong. As if feeling her gaze, Fried looked at her and smiled, Lucy couldn't help but smile back.

"Not only are you amazing for my brother, you make Bell happy," Franco continued. "There's a spark in her that I have never seen before, one that could only have been brought out by a best friend. You know what this means, don't you?" She shook her head and Franco smirked at her. "It means that you must make things work with Fried no matter what." She noticed that even though his expression was happy, there was a serious tone to his voice. "After all, if you become part of the family, Bell would be thrilled and so would I since I like you a great deal as well."

She chuckled at him. "Careful now; or I'll tell Bell that you were flirting with me."

He laughed at her. "Oh, what a liar." Then he became serious again. "But really, I know your relationship is still new and you have probably yet to see his darker side, but don't let it scare you away."

She thought about that as they continued to dance. Lucy had heard from Cana about his darker side after the Battle of Fairy Tail and had heard that Fried could be pretty scary. In her mind, she couldn't help but compare him to Erza, Natsu or Laxus. All of them could be described as scary if their anger was focused on you, but if you were the one they were protecting…

"Don't worry, Franco. I won't let him scare me away."

The song ended and the brother's exchanged partners. "Like I said, and amazing woman, but Bell is the only one for me."

"Good, I would hate to have to hurt you for trying to steal my angel away from me." Fried told him as he drew Lucy to his side, wrapping an arm around her waist as she blushed. "But I must say, your Bell is a wonder woman as well. Treasure her or else I may have to hurt you anyway."

The women exchanged knowing smiles before the crowd swallowed up the newly engaged couple. With his arm still at her waist, Fried took her hand and they started dancing again. "You never did answer my question," he said, a seductive smile spreading across his face that almost turned her legs to jelly.

Deciding that she wanted to tease him a little, she did her best to look confused. "What question? Did you say something before Bell and Franco came over?" When he scowled at her, she couldn't help but giggle. "Oh, you mean that whole thing about falling in love with me and wanting to make our fake relationship the real thing?" When she saw his cheeks turn pink, she couldn't help but think he looked so cute. Leaning close, Lucy placed a soft, lingering kiss on his left cheek. When she pulled back, his face was crimson red and his eyes were wide.

"I've felt the same way about you since this mission started and I would love to see what happens between us," she told him confidently. His expression became happier and brighter with every word. "When we get back to Magnolia, we can go on that date you mentioned before. After all, that is the story of how we fell in love."

Fried felt like he'd been strapped to a comet and shot into the heavens. His heart was pounding in her chest and his face felt like it would split in half because he was smiling so hard. Dismissing all etiquette for dancing, he pulled her into a hug and spun her in the air as she giggled. _My angel, she feels the same for me! She really is mine now! How could I ever be so lucky?_

**A/N: While writing this chapter, I watched a lot of videos on YouTube to pick out dance steps to write for their waltz. I hope I described the steps well enough for you to see what they were doing. More chapters are coming soon, please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

*** Another chapter written and I still don't own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.**

It was hours later and the party was beginning to die down. Fried still had enough energy to celebrate until dawn and he knew it all because of the golden angel at his side. She gave him the energy and spirit to keep going, but he knew the second she retired for the night, his exhaustion would catch up to him. Until that happened, he was going to enjoy every moment with her since she had agreed to be his. She may not realize it yet, but he would do everything within his power to make her happy and keep her at his side.

Natsu had described it best when the boy had ambushed him at the train station. _Lucy has this way about her that just draws you in and makes it so you have to be a part of her life._ She had drawn him in all right, now he didn't want to imagine his life without her at his side; his beautiful, warrior angel with a heart of gold.

Lucy could not believe how wonderful this day had become. Her best friend was engaged to someone she loved, she'd gotten to play music with Fried, and he had even confessed his feelings to her. It was just magical. If only this day would never end… but her shoes had been killing her feet for the past hour from dancing so much and she was just plain tired.

"I'll be right back," she told Fried as she gave his arm a squeeze.

"Are you tired?" He asked her, instantly concerned.

Smiling, she shook her head. "No, I just need to freshen up. I'll be right back."

It took her a few moments to find the restroom and there was a line of ladies waiting to use it. Not wanting to wait, she left the ballroom to use the restroom upstairs in Bell's room. When she was finished, Lucy steeped out of the bedroom and was immediately punched in the face. The blow wasn't terrible, but it still hurt and surprised her enough that her body froze and her attacker was able to pin her wrists to the wall behind her. Lucy didn't even need to guess who her attacker was; only one person at this party was such a coward to attack her by surprise.

"What are you doing, Junelle?" She hissed between clenched teeth.

"That's _Duke_ Junelle to you, you _commoner_!" He said coldly as he shifted his grip so that he held both of her wrists with one hand. "You don't really believe that I would allow you to speak to me that way and not teach you a lesson?" Just as she was about to tell him off, he slapped her. "You do not get to talk back to me!" He yelled in her face.

Lucy's face stung from the abuse she was taking. Her head turned back to his sweaty, red face and she glared at him. If her hands were free, she would have beaten him senseless by now, but her arms didn't have enough strength to break his hold. She had an idea, but he would have to get closer to her.

"You can pretend that you have class, but even when your family had money you were nothing. You were a pretty face and I thought it would be fun to bed you." He told her coldly as his eyes roamed her body. "I admit that you still have a nice body. Now that you don't have money to back it up, there'd be no point in marrying you but I'm still curious to know what it would be like to have you in my bed."

A chill ran down her spine as he reached for the front of her pants. _He's going to… NO! _ Her fear drove her to react as she spat in his face and screamed loudly, hoping that someone would hear her. Junelle cursed and punched her in the stomach, as she gasped for breath he took a step closer to her so that his face was right in front of hers. "Do that again and I may do more damage," he sneered.

She looked up at him and couldn't help but grin maliciously at him. Before he could react, she threw her head forward and head butted him in the nose. He stumbled back, releasing her wrists to staunch the blood coming from his nose. He hollered at her in anguish and advanced on her again, but she was prepared this time. He took another swing at her and she easily dodged thanks to all the fights at the guild, which had taught her how to avoid punches. Lucy struck out with her leg for a kick and made contact with his gut. Unfortunately, her heels did not allow for balance and she toppled to the ground. He dove for her grabbed her dress to pull her toward him. She kicked out again and hit his arm, causing her dress to tear before releasing her. She took the opportunity to scramble away from him and into Bell's room, if she got away from him enough so she could summon a Loke and make him pay.

Junelle got to his feet and advanced on her, but didn't make it past the doorway. When he attempted to cross the threshold he encountered a wall or runes that threw him back. Lucy recognized it as Fried's work right away. She didn't know when he had set it up, but she could tell that he made specifically to keep Junelle out.

**~oOo~**

Fried was sipping some wine in the ballroom when he felt his magic react to the barrier he had placed around Bell's rooms. His eyes quickly found Bell and Franco talking with Lord Sebastian, so she was safe. A panicked look around the room did not reveal his angel anywhere. That could only mean…

Not wanting to waste time pushing his way through the crowd, Fried used his rune magic to teleport himself out of the ballroom and to the hallway outside of Bell's private rooms. What he saw there began to send him into a spiral that brought his darkness so close to the surface in such a rush it made his head spin. Junelle's nose was bleeding as he picked himself up off the floor. Lucy was safe inside the barrier of his magic, but the left side of her face was red from being struck and her dress was torn. When he looked back at the slime of a man, he noticed something that he hadn't before; the zipper of his trousers had been opened.

_This bastard not only hit her, hurt her… he meant to touch her, FORCE HIMSELF ON HER!_

In that moment, Fried felt the control he kept on his darker side slip and he didn't care. That man had hurt his angel, would have done worse if she hadn't fought him off and made it inside the barrier he had set up. Fried would let his dark side destroy this man so he could never harm her again. Drawing his sword from its sheath, he glared at Junelle, who didn't have enough sense to realize the danger he was in.

"You dare to use magic against me and threaten me with a sword," the Duke yelled as he got to his feet. "Just wait until my father hears about this! He'll make sure that your family…"

He quickly drew the spell across the man's chest. "Dark Ecriture: Silence!"

Junelle's eyes went wide as his mouth was no longer able to form words. Lucy was able to sense the change in Fried's magic; it became much stronger but sent a chill down her spine.

"Dark Ecriture: Pain!"

The man collapsed to his knees as his entire body shook. He couldn't scream because he had been silenced, but she could see the suffering in his eyes as tears fell down his cheeks.

"Dark Ecriture: Fear!"

His body convulsed as he curled into a fetal position with his arms wrapped around his head. Fried slowly circled him as Junelle withered in pain, that's when she saw that his right eye had become black and purple. As a member of the Thunder God Tribe, the rune mage had an ability that was linked to his eyes. From what Cana had told her, Fried's eye had turned like this just before he had tried to kill Elfman!

"No, Fried don't do it!" She ran the few feet to position herself between the mage and the slime-ball on the floor. "He's not worth it!"

He didn't seem to see her as he drew back his sword, as if to cast a spell on her. Never having been a fan of pain, she raised her arms to shield her face but the magic didn't come out. Opening her eyes, she saw the shock on his face and a death grip on his sword as his entire body shook.

"Lucy… he hurt… must suffer!" He looked back at Junelle and glared.

She had to keep his attention on her or he would do something he'd regret later. Cupping both of his cheeks between her hands, she forced him to pay attention to her. "I'm okay, Fried. Besides, he's weak. He couldn't seriously hurt me even if he tried. And you don't want to scare me, do you? Because if you do kill him, I will be scared of you."

The sword dropped from his hand as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. Lucy looped her arms around his neck to hold him close; she could feel his body shaking. "I'm sorry, Lucy," she heard him whisper into her neck.

"I know. It's okay, Fried. I'm right here." She kissed his cheek.

"Fried! Lucy!" Their heads turned to see Franco running toward them. When the younger brother saw Junelle curled up on the ground and the marks on Lucy's face, it became clear what had happened. "Is he alive?"

"Yeah, but he'll probably think twice before threatening me again." The blonde gently withdrew from the rune mage's arms and knelt down in front of Junelle. "Can you move?"

He was still shaking, but he nodded in response.

"Good, now listen very closely," she told him, he voice dropping to her dangerous tone. A dark aura of power surrounded the blonde, it was strong enough that Fried tensed and Franco took a step back from her. "The only reason you're not dead is because I stopped him, and the only reason I stopped him is because I didn't want him to lose control of himself. Never-the-less; you now owe your life to me, understood?"

Junelle audibly gulped and nodded again.

"So here's what's going to happen. You and your father are going to leave the Whitmores, the Justines, and me alone. You don't go to their homes or parties, you leave their businesses and estates alone, and you will _never_ harass Bell or Franco again. You will also consider me as someone you never want to see again. Don't talk to me, look for me, or even say my name. Those are the conditions of you being permitted to live your life. Do you accept them?"

"H-h-how do I kn-know t-t-that y-you won't just k-k-kill me?" He stuttered in fear.

"Three reasons. One, Fried and I are Fairy Tail mages, if a person is not a threat to us, or our friends, we leave them alone. Two, I'm a Celestial mage; I'm bound by the contracts I make, so when I make a deal I stick by it. Three, Fried is a rune mage and is bound by his words, so he can't lie. When we say that we will not kill you so long as you don't break your word, we mean it."

Fried's body shuddered as she spoke. Despite her voice, he could tell how close she was to breaking down. Threatening someone to this degree wasn't in her nature and she was doing it so he wouldn't harm the Duke. The guilt made him sick to his stomach.

"So do you accept the conditions or will I have to go running into the ballroom while screaming that you attacked me and threatened to rape me?" Upon hearing that, the brothers advanced, picking up the prone man by his jacket and pinning him against the wall. Luckily for Junelle, the brothers stopped when she told them to.

"Think about it," she told him as Fried and Franco kept him pinned. "I may be a _commoner_ now, but the Heartfilia name still holds some influence and I have a personal friendship with the princess of Fiore. Include the Justines and the Whitmores; we could destroy your personal standing at court so badly that not even your father would be able to bail you out of trouble this time. He might even go as far as to cut you off completely. But I'd rather not ruin Bell's party with such a spectacle. So I will ask you one last time, do you accept the conditions I've presented to you?"

The man was visibly shaking, but nodded.

"Say that you accept," Lucy ordered.

"I accept!" He squeaked.

"Good, now Franco is going to escort you to a washroom so you can clean up before you go to thank Lord Sebastian for the party. Then you will apologize to Bell for how you spoke to her and leave this place. I'm sure one of the servants will be able to arrange some form of transportation." She looked up at the Justine brothers. "Franco, be quick so Bell doesn't notice that you're missing. Fried, could you stay here for a moment? I need to speak with you privately."

The pain in the pit of his stomach increased. He had a pretty good idea what she wanted to tell him, he suspected that he had lost her before he had a chance. He watched his brother escort the shaken Duke back toward the ballroom. As soon as they were out of sight, Lucy collapsed to her knees as hiccupping sobs escaped her. Kneeling down, Fried gathered her into his arms and carried her into Bell's room.

Sitting on a couch, he set her down next to him but she continued to cling to the lapels of his jacket. Her face was buried in his chest as she sobbed. He wasn't used to crying women and had no real idea of how to comfort her. The only thing he seemed to be able to do was hold her, so that's what he did.

"I was so scared," he heard her mumble as she sobbed.

Fried squeezed his eyes shut to keep back his own tears. _I knew I scared her. I knew that if she saw that part of me, she wouldn't want anything to do with me. I've lost my angel._ Kissing the top of her head, he removed he hands from his jacket. "I'm sorry I scared you, my angel. I… I'm sorry."

Lucy was in shock as he began to teleport away with his rune magic. "Fried, wait!" She reached for him, but there was only air. "Fried, don't leave me!" Sobbing, she collapsed on the couch and wrapped her arms around her stomach. "You didn't scare me. Please come back."

**A/N: This was a very hard chapter to write, not only because of what Junelle does, but because it was difficult to think of how Fried would react without seeming OOC. And don't fear, my loyal readers, I would never end the story like this; there are more chapters to come and I will post them as soon as I can. Please review and let me know how I did. **


	7. Chapter 7

***It is probably best that Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail so he can keep writing great stories to inspire the rest of us.**

The following morning, Lucy refused to get out of bed. Fried hadn't just left Bell's room; he had completely disappeared from the estate. No one knew where he was, but they suspected that he had returned to Magnolia. Franco had told Bell what had happened after the party was over and she had done everything she could to comfort her friend, but the blonde didn't want comfort. She just wanted to cry.

Bell had left so she could say goodbye to her other guests, so Lucy was alone when Franco came into the room. Not wanting to talk, she rolled away from him and pulled the sheets up to her chin.

He sat in the chair next to the bed and sighed. "I'll wager that you weren't expecting this when you took this mission, were you?"

She gasped and shot straight up as she stared at him with wide eyes. "H-h-how… when… did I…"

Franco chuckled at her. "Don't worry, your cover was flawless. Bell has no idea about what you're really doing here and I would prefer to keep it that way. Lord Sebastian told me that he had hired you and the story you were using. Imagine my surprise when I saw it was Fried who was posing as your fiancé. I was almost certain that your cover would have been blown since I had told her about him and how he was a bit emotionally distant, but you made it work."

Her eyes dropped to her hands which were gripping the sheets in her lap. "You must think I'm a terrible person. Someone who expects to be paid to help a childhood friend," she shook her head. "Please tell Lord Sebastian to keep his money, there's no way I could accept it."

"I had a feeling that you or Fried might say that," he smiled. "That's why I told Sebastian to forward the money to your guild master. It will be waiting for you when you get back."

Lucy scowled at him, which didn't seem to faze the man, but his expression did become serious. "So are you scared of my brother now?"

She thought about it before she answered. "No, I'm not scared of him. I wasn't scared of him last night either," she told him. "I'm a little worried about what would happen to him if he was to lose control, but I'm confident he wouldn't hurt me."

"Why's that?"

"Because he could have hurt me last night when I put myself between him and Junelle, but he stopped. He just dropped his sword and wrapped his arms around me."

Franco shook his head. "Then you didn't see his dark side, not all of it at least. I've only seen it once, many years ago, but that was enough for me. Fried will literally let his darkness completely take him over and he turns into a demon."

"I still don't think he would hurt me," she said confidently.

He chuckled again. "I'm not sure if that makes you foolish, crazy or brave."

Lucy smiled at him. "I'm a Fairy Tail mage, which means that I'm a bit of all three."

"Good, you'll have to be if you intend to have a relationship with my brother." He reached over and took one of her hands in his. "I meant what I said last night. I have never seen him happier than he is with you and I don't want to see him lose that happiness so quickly."

"I'm not going to give up on him. He ran because he thought I was scared of him. I just have to find him and prove that I'm not."

Giving her hand a final squeeze, he released her and stood from his chair. "Then you better get going before my brother beats himself up too much over what he thinks he did to you. You have two months to get him to see reason before my wedding. And you both better be there or else I will set Bell loose on you."

She chuckled as she imagined the lengths her friend would go to in order to insure that she and Fried would come to the wedding together… it would not be pretty. "Do you mind arranging a carriage for me while I pack and get dressed?"

"It's waiting downstairs already," Franco smiled at her. "If you hurry, you should make the next train. Good luck."

**~oOo~**

Lucy thought of what to say and how to approach Fried the entire journey back to Magnolia and decided that anger was probably the best way to start. She was mad at him for running off and leaving her and since her rune mage was someone who preferred honesty, then anger was the best way to break the ice with him. After that, she would confess how much she cared about him and make sure that he knew she wasn't scared of him.

First thing she did was go to the guild to talk to the master. He wasn't in his office but Mira had a letter from him.

_Lucy,_

_I'm glad that your mission went well and that your friend is safe. Lord Sebastian forwarded you reward to me and I have enclosed it with this letter. Fried reported in last night and has requested for you to leave him be. I will respect his wishes and not tell you that he lives at 352 Fountain Street. I don't know what happened between you two, but please try to fix it if you see him soon…_

She stopped reading and turned to glare at Mira. She was not-so-subtly watching the blonde as she wiped down the spotless counter with a cloth. "You read and rewrote my letter from the master, didn't you?"

The white haired woman smiled sweetly, fooling no one. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lucy. But now that you mention it, I saw Fried come in last night and he looked so heart broken. Something must have happened during you mission to make him look like that and leave you behind, what was it?"

Knowing that the woman would never admit to the letter, but she knew Fried pretty well, Lucy took her usual seat at the bar and told Mira everything that had happened. By the end of her story, the take-over mage looked like a heartbroken fan-girl whose favorite couple had just broken up right in front of her. There were even tears in her eyes.

"I should have known," she muttered to herself as she wiped away her tears and gave Lucy's hand a comforting pat. "Fried is a strong mage, but I think he's terrified of hurting those closest to him. That's why he's only really been close to Laxus, Bickslow and Evergreen. But I did notice the way he looked at you before you left for the mission and I can tell that he cares about you, so don't give up on him."

"And here I thought you were all for me getting together with Natsu, Gray or Loke."

She shrugged and smiled brightly at her. "Those three were my favorites until I saw you with Fried. But mostly, I just wanted to see you fall in love and since I can tell that you do love him, fight for him."

The conversation ended there. Not because Lucy had nothing more to say, but because a certain pink haired mage threw his arm around her shoulder and scared her half to death.

"Hey, Luce! You're back! Does that mean I get my Lucy dinner tonight?" Natsu said as he gave her a squeeze.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She yelled at him, just about to let loose a Lucy kick to his chin.

He pouted. "Come on, Luce. I haven't seen or talked to you in almost a week."

She sighed and got up from her chair. "You're right, I'm sorry. We'll have to stop by the market for food since I'm sure that you ate everything in my apartment while I was gone."

Shopping with Natsu turned out to be the perfect way to calm her nerves, it was impossible to be mad when he was happy like this. She listened to him talk about everything that had happened since she had started working with Fried. Happy had gotten turned down again when he had offered Carla a fish. Lyon had come to the guild to ask Juvia out and had gotten in a weird three-way-tug-of-war with her gripping Gray and Lyon trying to pull her away from the other ice mage. Then, just this morning, Lisanna had asked Natsu out on a date!

"She really asked you out? That's awesome! What did you say?" Lucy asked as she unlocked the front door to her apartment and carried the groceries to the kitchen.

"I… um… told her I'd think about it."

"Natsu, you idiot!" She yelled at him as she spun around to glare at him as she shut the fridge door. "You don't tell a girl _I'll think about it_ when she asks you out on a date! You tell her _yes_ or _no_; and telling her _I'll think about it_ is just as bad, if not worse, than telling her _no_! You realize that you probably just broke her heart!" Lucy spun back around and shoved the rest of the groceries into the fridge, as she continued to mutter to herself.

Realizing that the blonde was about to go into a dark mood, the dragon slayer attempted to retreat into the living room to escape her, but she wasn't going to let the flaming idiot escape her so easily. Lisanna was her friend and she was not about to let her feel the same uncertainty and rejection that Fried was making her feel right now. Lucy stormed after him and unintentionally collided with his hard back. She was going to yell at him until she realized that he was staring at something. Looking past him, she gasped when she saw that her entire living room had been moved around. Nothing seemed to be missing but there was definitely something new that hadn't been there when she'd left a few days earlier.

Placed against the wall was a square, grand piano and matching piano bench. The wood had a beautiful reddish color and a glossy finish that almost made it shine in the fading sunlight. The music rack was beautifully carved with an ornate design that made her want to trace it with her fingers. The keys were perfectly polished and waiting for someone to bring the music it could produce to life. It was so beautiful that she felt tears building up in her eyes.

"You didn't tell me you were getting new furniture. What is this thing anyway?" Natsu asked as he cautiously inspected the new object.

"It's a piano," she told him as she came out of her stupor, though she was still in a bit of a shock. Only one person at the guild knew that she played… Then she noticed the white envelop placed on the music rack and opened it with shaking fingers.

_My Angel,_

_I don't expect or deserve your forgiveness. If you never wish to see me again, I understand. I should have expected as much, a demon like me has no chance with an angel. But a talent such as yours should not go to waste._

_Love, Your Demon_

The tears she had been holding back fell from her cheeks and onto the paper as she read the letter over and over again. _You stupid, beautiful, irritating, sweet man! You never needed my forgiveness._

"Luce, are you alright?"

Wiping away her tears, she turned to her friend and gave him a watery smile. Despite how dense he usually was, Natsu seemed to read her expression right away.

"You know what, Luce," he said as he scratched the back of his head. "You're right; I shouldn't have left Lisanna without an answer. I think I'll go talk to her right now, so we'll have to do a rain-check on dinner tonight.' He gave her his signature, toothy grin. "If we're lucky, then the four of us can go on a double date. I'm pretty sure Lisanna would really like that."

Lucy threw her arms around his neck and hugged him hard enough that she heard him gasp for air. "That sounds perfect! You are the best friend anyone could ask for!"

"Of course I am!" He kept grinning at her as she turned and sprinted out the door.

Lucy pulled the note from Makarov/Mira out of her pocket to look at the address written on the paper. It was more than half way across town; about a twenty minute walk… she'd be there in less than ten minutes! She had to see Fried right now. She had to tell him she loved him. She… she needed him and she had to make sure that he knew he would never scare her away. As Franco said, she was too foolish, crazy and brave to let herself be scared away.

_I'm coming for you, my demon!_

**A/N: Again, I know that Natsu seems a bit OOC, but I think he knows Lucy enough to know what his best friend needed to do. I'm going to have a busy weekend, so the next chapter won't be up until Monday at the earliest.**

**A/N 2: Have been debating on writing one more chapter for this story. There is one more scheduled chapter, but I'm thinking of adding one more. After I post the next chapter, please comment and let me know if I should leave the story as it is of if you would like one more.**


	8. Chapter 8

*** I hope to retire one day and that is why I could never own Fairy Tail, because I would never want it to end!**

**** Here's a shout out to glorianna21, thank you for being such a loyal reader and all your great reviews! Happy Birthday and warm-fuzzies!**

Lucy ran down the streets of Magnolia to the address that Mira had given her. She was getting strange looks from the people she passed on the street but couldn't care less. She really hoped that Fried would be home when she got there, but what if he didn't want to see her? _He has to want to see me; he wouldn't have given me the piano if he didn't want to see me… maybe._

She was a half block away when she heard a loud BOOM that made the ground shake. Her steps faltered as she struggled to stead herself before she could face plant on the street. Unsure if there was an attack, he hand rested on her keys as she cautiously moved forward. A bad feeling was settling in her gut.

Her gut feeling was confirmed when she saw fresh damage to one of the walls of Fried's house as well as shouting from inside. Without thinking, she ran inside to see what was happening. What she saw was Laxus, Bickslow and Evergreen trying to restrain something that looked like a demon! The creature was larger than Laxus; it had dark skin and a mane of long green hair that looked very familiar. A pair of dark maroon horns swept back from the top of its forehead and past its large pointed ears. Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth that looked ready to rip out a person's throat if they got too close. The demon roared in anguish, and that's when Lucy saw its eyes; the right eye was black with a glowing purple iris and the left was blue.

She gasped as recognition hit her. _ No, it can't be… Now I see what Franco meant when he said that I hadn't seen Fried's darkness before. This is something I will never forget, but I will not run away!_

She watched in amazement as demon-Fried lifted a piece of furniture over his head, as if it weighed nothing at all, and hurled it at Laxus. The dragon slayer deflected it easily, but the action caused him to turn and catch sight of Lucy before turning back to his teammate. "What the hell are you doing here, blondie?" Laxus yelled at her, not daring to look away from the demon.

"What happened to Fried?" Lucy demanded, ignoring his question.

"We should be asking you!" Evergreen snapped at her. "He's been upset since he got back from his mission with you last night. It got so bad that his magic went out of control and his darkness took over. What did you do to him?"

She shook her head. "I didn't do anything to him. I got attacked and Fried protected me, but he thinks I'm scared of him now."

"Don't say as I blame you, cosplayer," Bickslow said as he dodged a chair that was thrown at his head and broke apart on the wall behind him. "When Fried gets like this, he can be pretty scary."

"Scary, scary," Bickslow's babies chanted.

"I'm not scared of him! I never was!" Her words lost some of their power as she shrieked and ducked her head to avoid a blast of magic that was thrown in her direction.

"You need to get out of here, blondie! There's no talking sense to him when he's like this. He could kill you!" Demon-Fried charged at Laxus, his fist glowing with power, and struck the blond man under the chin. This sent the dragon slayer stumbling back a few meters before he regained his footing and sent a bolt of lightning into his friend. Fried roared as he continued to attack.

"I'm not leaving! Fried would never hurt me, I know it!" She quickly moved past Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe and yelled Fried's name. The demon turned toward her and snarled as she came closer. "Fried, it's me, Lucy. I know you can hear me, so how about you calm down so we can talk?"

The demon roared as he swatted Bickslow's babies from the air before they could attack, but didn't take his eyes off the blonde girl. He roared again, but this time she was pretty sure he said "go away."

"I will not go away and don't you dare yell at me, Fried Justine! You know what I do to people when they make me mad!" Lucy yelled as she kept eye contact with him. She wasn't worried about him using his eye magic; he'd never use something like that on her.

To the surprise of Laxus, Bickslow and Evergreen, the demon stopped roaring and casting magic as he glared at the girl. Instead, he moved closer to her small frame to loom over her. She had to admit to herself, if it had been anyone else, she'd probably be terrified right now; but Lucy was still confident that Fried would never purposefully hurt her.

"Fear," he growled at her.

"I'm not scared of you, Fried." She glared up at him; her head almost tilted all the way back so she could see his face. "Now calm down and talk to me like the civilized gentleman your mother raised you to be."

Faster than she could dodge, the demon shoved her against the wall and pinned her by her throat. She felt the air leave her body but his grip was in the right place so she could still breathe. From the corner of her eye, she could see Laxus was about to attack. Keeping her eyes locked on Fried, she raised her left hand and shook it at him, telling him to hold back. When there was no attack, and she was sure Laxus would let her keep trying, she concentrated on Fried again.

"You fear me," he said clearly as his grip around her throat tightened slightly.

She scowled back at him. "I do not fear you, Fried. I never did. I'm supposed to be your warrior angel, aren't I? I know you won't hurt me because you care about me. Right now, you're trying to scare me away to protect me from yourself. You haven't hurt me yet and you kept yourself from hurting me before, so do it again."

The grasp on her throat loosened as realization began to dawn in his eyes and the tension in his demonic features began to fade. Lifting her hand, she stroked his cheek with her fingers and softened her voice. "I know you're upset about what happened and I was too. But losing control like this just isn't the kind of person you are and it's not going to help you, me or your friends."

Moving her hand from his cheek to the back of his neck, she gently brought his face close to hers; he didn't fight her. "I'm not going to leave you, Fried. I love you." Drawing him even closer, she kissed his cheek in the same spot she had kissed him the night before.

In a flash of purple light, the Fried Justine she knew was standing in front of her. He pulled the hand that had been pinning her throat to the wall away from her as if her skin had burned him. He looked at her for a moment with a mixture of shock and horror before he spun away and collapsed to his knees. Wasting no time, Lucy knelt down beside him and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug.

"That's better," she said softly as she started stroking his tangled hair with her fingers. "Now I can thank you properly for that beautiful piano you gave me. I can't wait to play it for you."

"How… how can you even stand to be near me after what I've done?" He asked her. She could feel his warm tears soak into her shirt as his shoulders shook.

She held him tighter. "I'm your angel, aren't I? I love you no matter how you look or what you've done. Don't worry, you'll get used to it eventually, my demon."

Some movement out of the corner of her eye had her turning her head to the other three mages in the room, and then she had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at their identical drop-jaw expressions. She cleared her throat and smiled at them. "I've got it from here, thanks for your help."

Evergreen scowled at them, Bickslow and his babies laughed, Laxus inclined his head at them before leading the other two out of the house. After a while, Fried's shoulders stopped shaking and his tears dried. He could tell that his friends had left a while ago and he was grateful to have time alone with Lucy, his warrior angel who had stood before his demon and stared him down without flinching. She was amazing and for some reason that he would never understand, she loved him. There was hardly anything more that he could ask for so long as she was by his side. Leaning away from her, he gave her a watery smile. "Thank you."

She smiled at him… and then slapped him on the face hard enough that his head snapped to the side. When he turned his head back, he wished he hadn't. Her eyes burned with that same anger he had seen directed at Natsu and Junelle. He had known that look was effective, but now that it was directed at him… he could feel his own demon cowering inside of him and whimpering in fear.

"What did you think you were doing, abandoning me like that?" Her voice was dropped into that dark even tone he had come to know as dangerous. "You DO NOT tell a girl that you have fallen for her and then leave her behind when she needs you! Do you have any idea how much that hurts?"

The dark aura that she was emanating put his own darkness to shame. Fried would have run away but for two things. One, he deserved her anger. Two, he was too scared to move. _Future reference, never make Lucy this angry again. I don't think she'll kill me now, but I may not be so luck next time._

"So let's make some things very clear," Lucy said as she poked an index finger into his chest. "You will _not_ leave me behind like that again, even if you think it's for my own good, we are in a relationship now which means that we work together. You are going to apologize to your friends tomorrow for making them worry about you like that. You owe Natsu a big 'thank you' for cancelling the dinner I promised him so I could come and see you. And the two of us _will_ be going to Bell and Franco's wedding in two months, so no complaining. Have I made myself clear?"

Despite her dark tone, Fried couldn't help but smile at her. His angel had forgiven him even though he didn't deserve her forgiveness. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. "I'll do anything you ask, so long as you forgive me."

Lucy giggled as she hugged him back. "Of course, I do. But I've got to tell you, I would have been a lot harder on you if you hadn't left that piano in my apartment. I can't wait to play it!" She disengaged herself, stood up and offered a hand to Fried to help him to his feet. "You know what we should do tonight, since I'm pretty sure neither one of us want to go out to eat?"

"No, what should we do?" He asked as he stood, taking both of her hands in his and playing with his mother's ring which she still wore on her finger.

"I've got a ton of food at my house to make dinner for us, so I'll cook while you play your violin for me. Then after dinner, I'll play my new piano for you since I can't play it unless you're there to hear it for the first time." She told him as she watched him play with the ring.

"My angel," Fried smiled as he pulled her close. One arm wrapped around her waist as his other hand cupped her cheek. "May I kiss you?"

Her cheeks burned bright red and he had to suppress a chuckle. It still amazed him how this woman could go from strong and dangerous one moment to shy and cute the next. When she nodded, he couldn't help but want to see more of her reactions.

Leaning forward, his lips gently grazed her right cheek before leaving a chaste kiss. He kept moving until his lips left another kiss on her forehead. His lower lip lightly brushed her skin as he moved to kiss the left corner of her mouth. When he heard her sigh and felt her body shudder in anticipation, he pressed his mouth to hers for the kiss he really wanted. His angel, her mouth was so sweet and her lips were so soft that it almost felt like a dream, but it was better than he could have imagined. His demon wanted to taste her more, press her to a wall and keep her there until they were satisfied, but he kept a tight leash on the urge. After a few moments, he retreated and felt a thrill deep in his soul when he saw that the kiss had left her dazed and even breathless.

She felt off balance after the kiss, but in a good way. It was like the first drop while riding a roller coaster when the rush hits you and your hearty jumps into your throat, but you're excited by what might come next. All she could think about at that moment was kissing him again so she could taste him fully. As she leaned forward, Lucy saw the smile on his lips and knew that he wouldn't deny her.

Their second kiss had all the hope of the first one and three times the passion. Their lips had come together with almost bruising force before opening their mouths to use their tongues. The hand that had been cupping her cheek was now laced through her hair to angle her head properly so he could kiss her deeper. Her hands gripped the lapels of his jacket, as if to keep him from running away. Fried tasted of exotic spices and expensive wine which made Lucy hum with pleasure. Her mouth tasted like strawberries and sweetness and he knew that he would never tire of her.

They continued to devour each other's mouths until breathing became an issue. When they finally separated, they rested their foreheads together and smiled. He released her hair and started tracing the line of her jaw with his fingers, loving the feeling of her soft skin.

"I love you, my angel, and I promise to do everything I can to make you happy."

Lucy smiled at him and kissed his left cheek in the same spot she had before. "I love you too, my demon; and I promise to do everything I can to help you fight your darkness."

**A/N: This is unofficially the final chapter. I'm setting a poll up on my page to vote on whether or not to add one more chapter. If I do add another chapter, I think it will take place at Bell and Franco's wedding. The poll will be open for about a week. So let me know!**


	9. Chapter 9

*** Fairy Tail is meant to be enjoyed by everyone, but I do not own it.**

**** Wow, I didn't expect such an overwhelming response to my poll and reviews! Total landslide towards the addition of a chapter, if you can't tell, tee-hee! I was honestly shocked and started writing the extra chapter as quickly as I could. It was a little more difficult than I thought it would be, so I hope everyone will be happy with what I came up with. Enjoy!**

The next two months between that night and Bell and Franco's wedding turned out to be very eventful for Lucy and Fried. The first thing they had done was tell their teams about their new relationship.

Team Natsu had been very accepting for the most part. Natsu was happy for them since he had encouraged Fried and Lucy to be together in his own way and could now keep his promise to Lisanna of a double date, but the dragon slayer made it clear that if he ever hurt her, the rune mage wouldn't live to regret it. Erza had blushed profusely, muttering about her little sister growing up before telling Fried to protect her like his life depended on it. Gray had been upset at first, saying how the rune mage wasn't good enough for her. He quickly backed down when Lucy _and _Erza started giving him dark looks that made Fried and Natsu back away in terror.

The Thunder God Tribe had been a little less receptive of Lucy. Bickslow had laughed, thinking that the whole thing was a joke. Evergreen had blatantly snubbed her, saying that the blonde wasn't powerful enough to deserve their teammate. Laxus had kept quiet, scowling the whole time though no one was sure why. Their actions had angered Fried something terrible and he had nearly attacked his friends like he had the night before. Lucy and Laxus were able to calm him down, but just barely. When Laxus finally spoke, it made all the difference.

"Bix, Ever; neither one of you have any right to say that she's weak or to call this a joke," the lightning dragon slayer growled. "What Blondie here did last night proves that she cares about him. The fact that she walked right up to him and snapped him out of it just by talking to him proves that she's smarter and braver than either of you. And I also remember that she kicked Bickslow's ass during the Battle of Fairy Tail, which means she could easily mop the floor with you, Ever. If you two don't accept them, that's your problem; but if you make it hard on them, I will not be pleased." The blond looked back at the couple and inclined his head. "Don't you dare break his heart, Blondie. Fried, you found yourself a good woman, treat her right." Then he put his sound-pods over his ears and walked away from the four of them.

They were speechless as they listened to Laxus. Fried was particularly upset that his friends hadn't accepted Lucy, but he couldn't have been happier that the mage he looked up to the most had stepped in to defend her. That would have to do for the moment.

Later, when they had made the announcement to the guild, there had been even more mixed reactions. The guild was surprised that the two of them had become a couple since they had never shown interest in each other before, but everyone still seemed happy for them. Mira was overjoyed and wouldn't stop going on about how beautiful their babies would be. Hearing that, of course, had Lucy and Fried blushing like mad. While the guild had celebrated, the two of them had simply sat with each other, holding hands and watching the party.

The following day held another surprise that nearly sent Lucy running for the door. Because she had told Mira about the duets she and Fried had done at the Whitmore estate, the take-over mage had arranged for a piano and violin to be waiting for them when they arrived at the guild. Lucy attempted a hasty escape, only to be blocked by Natsu, Mira and Fried. It took a lot of coaxing and the threat of Mira never making her another drink again before she gave in and agreed to do it.

She'd never played in front of so many people before and was really nervous. Fried noticed and gave her a hug before taking her by the hand and leading her to the piano and bench in front of it. "Don't worry, my angel. You play more beautifully than anyone here has ever heard before. They will love you. If you get too nervous to play for them, then just play for me." He kissed her cheek, making her blush as he gently pushed her shoulders so she would sit down.

By then, most of the guild had arrived, including the Thunder God Tribe and the rest of Team Natsu. Bickslow and Evergreen were scowling at her and she was doing everything she could to ignore them. "What should we play first?"

"Play the song you played for Franco, Bell and me the first time I had the pleasure of hearing you. I'd like to see what I could add to it, if you'll allow me," he smiled at her.

_Damn it, he knows I can't say 'no' when he smiles at me like that._ Knowing that they would be able to keep up with each other, Lucy stretched her fingers, closed her eyes and started stoking the keys. She could hear the answering notes of the violin as the guild grew silent. She couldn't help but listen to how Fried played along with her. The notes were harmonious at times and contradictory at others, but they still seemed to work well with the piano. It didn't take long for her to figure out that he was playing his own life story beside hers, creating something new and beautiful.

As they drew closer to the end, Lucy looked right at him, brown eyes locking with blue. Somehow, without any planning, they began playing together in almost perfect unison. The music was so full of life, hope and love that it brought tears to her eyes as her handsome demon smiled brilliantly at her. They were playing their feelings for each other and it didn't matter if anyone else realized what it was they were playing because _they_ knew.

As they finished, Fried couldn't help but want to kiss her. Switching the bow to his other hand, he cupped her cheek as she lifted her chin to meet him for a sweet, wanting kiss. They were drawn into it so quickly that they nearly forgot that they were on stage and in front of the entire guild… at least until everyone started cheering and cat-calling at them. They quickly broke apart as their faces turned bright red. Realizing that they would either have to face everyone or could distract them by playing more music, both of them started playing again.

It was hours later before they stepped off the stage, their hands cramping from over use. They hadn't only played classical music; but everything that came to mind and even a few requests from the guild that had everyone singing and dancing along. They had barely sat down when Mira placed food and drinks in front of them, telling them that they could have anything they wanted for the rest of the day. Not long after that, they were joined by both of their teams. Whatever hostility or uncertainty there had been had disappeared after hearing Fried and Lucy play together and then seeing them kiss.

Evergreen even apologized for what was said the day before. "Please understand that Bickslow and I were angry at you because we thought it was your fault he lost control the other night. Apparently, that wasn't the case. I will say this though, I've known Fried for years and I can't remember ever seeing him so open or happy. And since his happiness seems to be directly linked to you, I suppose I can admit that you may be good for him."

Knowing that was the best she would probably ever get from the fairy, Lucy couldn't help but smile at the woman.

After that, Fried and Lucy were constantly together. They would go on missions with their teams or just the two of them, but they were almost always together. Like their music and when they danced, their magic worked together better than they had expected. Fried could cast rune spells on Lucy's spirits to give them more power and better defenses against enemies; and with Lucy's whip and Fried's sword, they were quite the pair when it came to close combat. However, a couple of instances proved to be surprising to everyone involved.

There was one mission with Team Natsu, they were supposed to take down a dark guild and the fight had gotten rougher than they had expected. Gray had been knocked unconscious, Erza was cornered by seven mages while dampening her magic, leaving Lucy, Fried and Natsu to fight the majority of the guild. When Natsu created an explosion, it separated Lucy and Fried and two mages took advantage of the distraction and grabbed her. When he looked up, the first thing he saw was a dirty looking man holding a knife to Lucy's throat and another with snake-like features wrap an arm around her waist and arms to keep her still while his other hand fisted in her hair to force her to expose her neck.

Seeing that caused something inside of him to snap as he tapped into a reserve of magic inside himself that he hadn't even known existed. Magic practically erupted from him as _both _of his eyes turned black and purple. His enchantments flowed freely from his hands at the speed of his own thoughts as they shot in every direction. One line of runes wrapped protectively around Lucy as others wrapped around her attackers, who collapsed to the floor as they screamed in agony. The other mages suddenly lost their magic as the runes wrapped around their bodies, cutting them off. Erza and Natsu quickly took advantage of the situation and dispatched the powerless mages while Lucy rushed over to Fried as he collapsed from exhaustion. The magic he had used was extraordinary, but it took him three days to regain his magic.

A few weeks later, Lucy and Fried went on their own mission to take out a couple of forest vulcans that were causing trouble at a nearby village. Unfortunately, there had been a lot more than the mission had stated and the fight had nearly killed them. Loke and Scorpio were already out and fighting, Lucy's wrist was injured so she was having difficulty wielding her whip properly. Fried had just taken out a vulcan when another one came up behind him and pinned his body and arms to the ground under its large hand. Its other hand fisted as it lifted into the air, she could tell it was going for a killing blow. When she had seen the vulcan about to crush him, knowing there was no way that she or her spirits would get to him in time, Lucy screamed as she reached her hand out to him… and a beam of gold light shot out of her hand, hit the vulcan, and sent the beast flying through the air and into the trees.

All of them had been shocked for a moment but had quickly recovered as the remaining vulcans continued to attack. By the time they had defeated all of them, Lucy had done that light beam two more times. Loke suspected that what she had done was an extension of her celestial magic and might be able to develop it more if they trained. Still slightly in shock, she agreed before sending both spirits back to the celestial world. Then they collected their reward before returning to Magnolia. When they got back, they went to Fried's house since it was the closest so they could rest as the collapsed on his couch.

"How did you do that, angel? I've never heard of a celestial mage being able to produce a concentrated magically attack like that." Fried asked her.

"I really don't know. I saw you, I saw that vulcan about to crush you, and it just came out of me like a punch," she told him, holding his hand tightly. "Then after the first time it happened, I knew that I could do it again." She turned toward him and he saw tears filling her eyes. "You really scared he, don't ever do that again."

Using the hold on her hand, he drew her into his arms so he could hold her to his chest then wiped her tears away with his thumbs. Lucy cuddled up against him, feeling his heartbeat against her cheek comforted her, helped convince her that he was alright.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you; my angel, my light, the best thing that ever happened to me. I'll try not to do it again. But I must say, our magic seems to be growing stronger and it seems like it's connected to each other. We see each other in danger, and then our opponents get hit by magic so strong that they never had a chance." Fried told her, feeling her relax a bit as he spoke. He squeezed her a little tighter to his chest, loving the feel of how her body fit against his. "Would you like to spend the night? I have a shirt you can use and I promise to behave."

"Only if I get to shower first," she mumbled against his chest. "I'm really tired and if you go first, I know that I'll be asleep by the time you're done."

He agreed, then got her a short sleeved button-up shirt to wear and a towel to use. Truth be told, he hadn't needed to promise to behave. Because of the way both of them had been raised, neither one of them wanted to have sex before they were married; and even though she still wore his mother's ring, they were only boyfriend and girlfriend at the moment. She _was_ a little nervous as she showered, this would be their first time spending the night together and the only person she'd ever slept beside was Natsu, and he had always climbed into bed with her after she had already gone to sleep.

When she had finished and was dressed in Fried's shirt, she stepped out of the bathroom. She almost laughed at his expression when he saw her; his face went red, eyes went wide, and he looked about ready to swallow his tongue. The temptation to tease him was hard to ignore, but she was exhausted and didn't want to torture him more than she had to.

"Bathroom's all yours," she smiled at him as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. He quickly averted his eyes and strode past her, closing the door behind him. Lucy couldn't help but giggle. Even though they'd been dating for almost two months, there were still times she would make him nervous and he would run and hide until he had composed himself again. Knowing that he would be a while, she grabbed a book from the shelf and sat on the couch to read.

Fried scrubbed his face in the shower, trying to calm his darker urges. It had taken more strength than he's like to admit to keep himself from jumping his girlfriend and consummating their relationship right there on his living room floor. They'd both agreed to wait until marriage, but seeing her dressed in only his shirt with her long legs bare for him to see… _There's only so much a man can take! And I am going to have to fight that urge all night… what sort of torture have I resigned myself to?_

Strangely enough, the demon within him was practically purring at the idea of holding her in his arms all night. Or maybe it wasn't so strange. Since he had begun dating Lucy, the darkness within him had become much easier to control. His demon loved her as much as he did. The only times his control seemed to slip was when he was away from her or when she was in danger. It had gotten to the point where he couldn't stand to be away from her for more than a few days before his demon would almost go crazy and emerge because it had to find and protect her. The times she was in danger, Mavis have pity on whichever poor bastards, because his demon had none for those who would dare to harm her. She was his and he'd never let anyone even attempt to take her away from him.

When he was finally composed, Fried stepped out of the shower, dressed in a pair of blue silk sleeper pants and left the bathroom. He found Lucy asleep on the couch with a book lying open on her chest. She looked so innocent and beautiful; he still couldn't believe that this golden angel had chosen to be his. Careful not to wake her, he scooped the sleeping blonde into his arms and carried her to his bedroom. He was able to lay her under the covers before climbing in bed beside her. Just as he was settling in, Lucy mumbled in her sleep and turned to snuggle into his chest. She seemed to find a comfortable spot quickly because she sighed and went still, her breath lightly tickling his bare chest.

Fried was in awe of what just happened. The urge to run away and compose himself was there, but it was overridden by pure male satisfaction that she wanted to be close to him, even in her sleep. He smiled as he kissed her hair before wrapping an arm around her waist and falling asleep beside her.

**~oOo~**

The first thing Lucy noticed as she woke up was that she was cuddled against something that smelled really good. It didn't take more than a moment for her to realize that she was resting against her handsome demon. Then she noticed that he was lightly stroking her hair away from her face with his fingers, she didn't want him to stop. "That feels really nice," she whispered, letting him know that she was awake.

He chuckled as his fingers continued to stroke her golden tresses. "I apologize if I woke you, but I couldn't seem to keep myself from touching you."

"You're my boyfriend, that means this is allowed and even expected of you," she told him as she opened her eyes. His features were softer in the morning light; the stoic mask he had perfected, long forgotten since they had officially become a couple and replaced a quiet smile that always made her heart flutter. "Good morning."

"Good morning," he said as he leaned in and kissed her. That simple kiss was almost his undoing as his demon surged at the need to claim her. Fried fought it down, but it became more difficult when he heard Lucy moan softly before opening her mouth to invite him in. A growl escaped his lips as he buried his hand in her hair and started devouring her mouth, practically getting drunk on her taste. His control nearly slipped when she placed her hand on his bare chest and he felt her nails against his skin. It pained him to do so, but he broke their kiss and drew away from her slightly. If he didn't, all good intentions would go out the window in a moment.

"T-that's probably the b-best wake up I've ever had," she said in a quiet, almost embarrassed voice. It didn't escape his notice that she was blushing.

Reaching down, he took her left hand and lifted it to kiss the knuckles. "Perhaps we could do it more often in the future," he said, causing her to blush even more.

"You know, I realized the other day that you are still wearing my mother's ring." Lucy averted her eyes, a little embarrassed. She really liked the right and he had never asked for it back, so she had wanted to keep it. She was going to say as much, but Fried kept talking. "I've also realized that Franco and Bell's wedding is this coming Saturday. My father and brothers will all likely be present as well as the rest of my family. There will, no doubt, be questions about the two of us and I don't like the idea of attempting to lie to them."

Lucy held her breath as he spoke. She had an idea of where he was heading with this conversation and knew that it could go one way or the other. She hoped it went right…

"I wanted to wait for the perfect time to ask you this and I can't help but think that moment is now. My angel, will you marry me?"

She squealed and threw her arms around Fried, the momentum causing them to roll off the edge of the bed and onto the floor. Fried landed on his back with Lucy secured to his chest as she peppered his face with kisses. "Yes! Yes! I love you!" Her lips met his with enough force to bruise as she kissed him with so much excitement, he almost laughed.

"I can't wait to start planning out wedding," her voice going high with excitement. "I want our colors to be pink and green like our guild marks! And we should see if Kardia Cathedral has any openings for next spring! Oh, and we'll have to ask Franco and Bell to be in the wedding as a groomsman and bridesmaid since it's because to them that we got together in the first place. And you'll probably want Laxus as your best man and I'll ask Evergreen to be one of my bridesmaids too, but Erza just has to me my maid of honor and I'll ask Master if he'd like to give me away!" She squealed again and bent back down to give him a deep, passionate kiss that left both of them breathless. "I love you so much, my handsome demon. Please let me know if I start going overboard with wedding plans," she said, blushing.

Fried laughed as he hugged her to his chest. "I don't mind if you go overboard, whatever makes you happy is perfectly fine with me, my angel. So long as you're with me, I have everything I could ever want."

**A/N: That's it, the story is officially finished. I'm kind of sad that it's over but I'm really happy with how it turned out. And I have gotten so many reviews and favorites from this story that it filled me with tons of warm-fuzzies! Thank you all so much!**


End file.
